Preseason vital for Steel

Preseason vital for Steel

The results may not count towards the ANZ Championship silverware but the importance of next weekend’s preseason netball tournament in Queenstown is not lost on Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton.

With so many of her squad involved in New Zealand representative teams, the Steel has endured a disrupted buildup for the 2011 trans-Tasman competition which begins in just three weeks.

“They have been involved in lots of other things and the turnaround between seasons is also very short … it takes its toll on players,” Broughton said.

Silver Ferns Liana Leota (nee Barrett-Chase), Leana de Bruin and Daneka Wipiiti return on Sunday from a three-test series win against England, while several other players have been juggling national accelerant squad and U21 team commitments recently.

While it was a reflection of the talent-stacked Steel roster, Broughton was eagerly anticipating having all players back together during the three-day tournament at the Queenstown Events Centre from January 28-30.

Games against fellow ANZ Championship franchises the Queensland Firebirds, Pulse and Tactix would provide valuable court time.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” she said. “The girls have all been working really hard and this is a chance to bring it all together.”

Developing combinations would be a focus, along with “accuracy and quality”.

“The aim is to get everyone on and combinations working smoothly,” Broughton said. “Preseason tournaments are terribly important for the players, the coaches and the management – if you’ve got something wrong, it’s your opportunity to discover it and fix it.”

Also a chance to peek at rival teams, the Pulse will feature Australian import and former Vixen Caitlin Thwaites, while former Steel shooter Donna Wilkins will pull on the Canterbury strip for the first time in over 14 years.

Along with Steel’s gold medal trio, several netballers who competed at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October will showcase their talents. Australian Diamonds Laura Geitz, Natalie Medhurst and Lauren Nourse, together with Jamaican shooting star Romelda Aiken, will spearhead the Firebirds, while Silver Fern defender Katrina Grant captains the Pulse.

Tickets to both day and evening sessions are now available from the Queenstown Events Centre and Ticket Direct with Steel’s feature game against the Firebirds at 7.30pm on Friday expected to produce a traditional trans-Tasman showdown of epic proportions. The tournament final is scheduled for 11.45am on Sunday, January 30.

The Steel officially starts its 2011 ANZ Championship bid for trans-Tasman supremacy on February 14 against the Mystics in Auckland.

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